The brain can be a powerful ally. Our brains are always looking out for us. They’re wired to help us survive – alerting us to threats and ramping up our amygdala to help us take action. But that same survival trigger makes healing from trauma difficult, says Pat Ogden, PhD. In fact, the very systems […]
The Power of a Question and the Support of a Community
Could 2,500 practitioners commit to making three small food changes over 10 days? We called it the Power of 3 Challenge, and we promised that if 2,500 practitioners pledged to give it a try, we would donate $25,000 to feed Syrian refugee children who were experiencing so much trauma and malnutrition (even starvation) in the […]
A Look at Trauma from Inside the Brain
Trauma’s impact on the body can often be readily apparent, but what does trauma look like from inside the brain? According to David Berceli, PhD, there’s a specific sequence to how the brain processes trauma . . . . . . and knowing how it works could be essential to honing our approach to the […]
How to Use Body Patterns to Discover the Impact of Trauma
Your body is constantly in motion, but how often do you pay attention to what these movements convey? Focusing on the way people move their bodies can actually show us a lot about the trauma they’ve experienced. But how can we help people learn to recognize what their bodies are reflecting about their trauma? By […]
The Polyvagal Theory: Looking at Trauma through a New Lens
Can trauma haunt the body the same way it haunts memories? According to Stephen Porges, PhD, not only does the body remember a traumatic experience, but it can actually get stuck in the trauma response mode. So even when life becomes safe, the body still perceives danger and its defenses stay engaged. Why does this […]